The Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium has announced the recent approval from the State Board of Nursing to increase acceptance for 16 additional students and with current applications, they plan to accept 26 additional students, program-wide. This larger class will begin January 2014. “ARNEC has already exceeded the number of applications from last year, so we feel it is vital to increase student acceptance in 2014,” said Crystal Gillihan, ARNEC Director. “Our students are very successful. They are employed quickly after graduation in both acute care and long-term care settings. Many of our students chose to further their education and are gaining acceptance into BSN programs. ARNEC is a vital piece to rural education and rural health care in Arkansas.” The program is fully approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, and the eight colleges that comprise the consortium have graduated approximately 225 students each year from the program, prior to the increase. ...